Heaven's Full of the Hopeful
by TheLostSpirit
Summary: She hadn't smiled in ages, years, and everyone assumed she was okay; she had to run. He had been looking for her since she disappeared years ago; he couldn't let her go now. HatorixTohru
1. A Visitor in the Night

**A/N: Woah, this is my second HatorixTohru story. My last one ended 3 years ago. HOLY-**

**Anyway, yeah. Hi! If you don't know who I am, I'm TheLostSpirit! You can check my other stories out, if you dare. I have a few other HatorixTohru stories lying around, no big deal. This one just came to me as a little story I want to do (actually it won't be so little. I have quite a bit of ideas floating around for this one) and I've had this idea for the longest time. Also I want some angst for this couple SO! Yeah. ALSO, I haven't written much of them lately, and I'm pretty sure they'll be a little OOC at first. My apologies if it's a bit TOO OOC.  
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**ANYWAY, I hope you enjoy this! I love this first chapter, even though it's a bit risque for some people. It's gonna go into some deep stuff (maybe, I haven't decided yet) later on, so if you can handle this, you'll handle the other stuff.**

**Enjoy!**

**_DISCLAIMER: I do not own Fruits Basket._  
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She hadn't known how long she was sitting under that tree. It was raining; she was sitting in the mud underneath said tree, watching a few cars roll by. They would splash the water in all directions as they sped by with their headlights beaming. They wouldn't see her; she was hidden in the shadows, hiding from the rest of the world as she stared at the cement at her feet. The grey concrete looked black from the slight shade given from the little light from the clouds above. She wanted to smile at the one thing that was true: her cuts were starting to become clean.

She had been running before resting, trying to find somewhere to hide. She didn't know what time she left, nor what time it was then. A slight breeze would come and go and make her body shiver. The water drenched her. Her blue sundress—her favorite—was torn in all kinds of places, with rips at the ends that was resting on her thighs. They were not better. The pink scars that were healing seemed to be the only thing she could see on her legs, and her new wounds were starting to wash away from the rain. The blood coming from her open wounds was sliding down her legs and into the green grass, slowly creating little puddles of her own blood.

She hadn't seen a soul walking down the street. It was raining—why would they be walking? She mumbled to herself: "Stupid." She rested her hands in her lap, but didn't like to look at her hands. They were scratched beyond belief, bloodied, and her fingernails were chipped. She could see some of the blood from her wrists and arms resting in the creases in her palms, so she threw her hands to her sides and sunk them into the mud. She couldn't stare at them.

Was he looking for her? She hoped not. She didn't mind sitting under the tree, finally finding some peace in her chaos. This tree had no significance. She came to it by chance because she was tired of running. She was only maybe a mile away from her house, but she was away from it. The mud was starting to sting; it was probably getting into her wounds around her wrists, and possibly in her legs and inner thighs.

She was starting to get cold. The rain felt like a blessing, but the wind blowing against her every now and again would make her tremble. She could see the dark red stains on her dress, along with some of the old wounds showing from the holes, and could see the extent of the damage that the scratches did to her chest. Her hair sprawled along her chest, and her hair blocked her peripheral vision. Her lips started to tremble from the cold, so she tried bringing her knees to her chest. But when she tried moving her legs, it stung, and she winced at the pain. She left them against the ground.

Another car rolled by. No one would stop for her. No one ever did. Even when out in public with a fake smile on her face, she would never be stopped by anyone and asked: "Hey, are you okay?" They just assumed she was and moved on. But she hadn't smiled in ages, years, and they all thought she was okay. She slightly moved her head down and hit her chin against the upper part of her chest. She felt the pain around her neck. She closed her eyes.

There was someone walking in the rain after all. She didn't want to see the person, and she certainly didn't want to be seen by them. She wasn't hidden to those walking; only those that were in a hurry and had no care for her would she then be hidden. She could hear the faint footsteps walking toward her, and she only focused on the rain so the person could quickly leave her life as fast as they entered it.

He was talking on the phone. "Yes, yes, I will be home soon." He paused. "No, I did not stop at the store. I am sorry, but I-" he suddenly stopped. He was cut off by the other person on the phone. He sighed. "I promise to go tomorrow." He tightened his grip on his umbrella and looked down at the ground. He hated the rain. It always made his black shoes a little muddy, and he would have to clean them when he got home. Plus, his suit pants would always get a little wet. It just bothered him.

He shifted in his doctor's coat. He forgot to take it off when he was done with his work, so he walked home in it. He did this often. He stared down at the concrete and noticed the little puddles along the curb of the street. Different cars rolled by, all splashing the water around. Nothing hit him. He lied; he didn't mind the rain. It was comforting to hear the rain fall and splash against the cement below. It didn't hurt to hear the rain hit his umbrella either.

But he was focused on the person on the other end of the phone call. He had just got into a new relationship months ago, and every day this was the routine. She would call him right when he ended his shift, and if he answered, they would talk the entire time he was walking. If he didn't answer, he would get an upsetting voicemail every time. They were talking about something, but he let his mind wander, so he just agreed to everything they said. He felt bad for letting his mind wander, but he had just got done with a tiring day and he just wanted to think the rest of the way to his home.

He looked up from the sidewalk and looked around. He saw the familiar tree he passed every day, but saw something on the ground. He shrugged it off and looked over at the buildings across the street. People were losing business because of the rain, so most shut down for the day anyhow. "Right," he said to her. He wasn't paying any attention to her; she picked it up. He held out the phone from his ear and heard her little shouts of anger come from his phone. She had a bad temper, too. He felt his hand get a little damp from the raindrops and he placed the phone back on his ear.

"I'm sorry, but I have to let you go. I'll be home soon." He held the phone out and heard her shouting again, but he hung up on her. He knew he would have to deal with that when he got home as well. He sighed; first it was the shoes, now it was relationship troubles. He pocketed his phone in his white overcoat and continued to stroll. Another car rolled by, and he continued to think.

The car disappeared from his vision the moment the back-end of the car hit a certain point. He hated being blind in one eye. What if a robber was coming up to his left and threw him down to the ground? Or worse—what if someone held a gun to his head and he died because he didn't see them? He stared out to the tree and came closer to whatever was underneath the tree. He just had to live life the way he had, and if the thing under the tree was a person willing to attack him, so be it.

He firmly held his umbrella and looked down at the ground. It was a person. They had their legs straight out from their body, and they were completely soaked head to toe. He couldn't see her face (she was wearing a dress). She looked dirty. _Probably someone homeless, _he said, as he looked down at the sidewalk. He did not want to see her face when he walked by, because he knew the homeless would be looking for something during the rain, perhaps change or his umbrella. He heard nothing but the rain falling against his umbrella and the woman's breathing.

She was breathing harder than normal, but he passed over it and thought of her just being cold. So he continued to walk. His umbrella hit one of the branches, causing water to heavily drip against her body. He couldn't see her flinched at the little attack he unleashed on her; she was in his blind spot. He slightly turned his head, intrigued at the person just sitting there. He saw all the mud against her legs and saw her hands in the mud by her side. Her legs were clean from mud—so he stopped. What was that on her legs?

He looked at the woman. She still had her head down, and he couldn't see her face. He had a good look at her body instead. Her legs had a purplish color—they were bruised. They had red smeared on them—it was blood. He saw her dress ripped in numerous spots and wounds popping out from the holes. Old scars covered her arms, plus new small wounds were dripping with blood. A few scratches on her chest were a deep red—what happened to her?

She could see him standing over her. She had to close her eyes. She could see _him_ standing over her. Her body tensed up; her breathing started to get a little heavier. Even with her eyes closed, she could see _him_ standing there, screaming at her. _"Get up!" _She bit her bottom lip and waited.

The man in front of her looked around. There was absolutely no one around to help her, and he couldn't just leave her there. It would be a travesty and he would feel absolutely horrible. "Excuse me, ma'am?" He called out to her. He could see her body shaking; he couldn't tell if she was cold or scared. He bent down and tried to look at her face. It was to no avail.

She peeked out and saw him bent down. But she saw _him _the same way, and she closed her eyes again. She wasn't outside; she was in their home. _"What, you don't want to get up? I'll make you get up! Get up!" _So she waited again.

The man moved his umbrella to his other hand and reached out to her. He didn't want to startle the poor thing, and he just wanted to help stitch up some of the wounds (some of them needed to be treated right away). "Ma'am?" He barely touched her foot when she suddenly jerked her leg away from him and let out a little scream. He moved his hand back underneath the umbrella. "Ma'am, I'm only trying to help…" he tried touching her foot again by moving toward her, but she continued to scream.

"Please don't! Please!" He knew this voice. She moved her hands from the mud to defend herself, as if he was going to attack her.

"Ma'am, I'm not going to hurt you, I am only here to help," he said to her again. He tried to be as reassuring as possible, but she was crying. She was panicking, her breathing was getting heavy, and he didn't know what to do. He inched towards her, with his feet getting in the mud her legs were just in (he could see blood in some of the puddles). She held out her hand and barely touched his hand. Her fingers tightly squeezed around his, and he didn't move after that. He just let his hand hang in the air as she grasped it.

"Please, just stop," she whispered. He saw her head slightly moving, and he tried seeing her face.

"I won't hurt you," he replied.

"Don't hurt me," her head whipped up and he stared into her eyes (her left one was bruised). "Please, don't hit me, don't do it. I didn't do anything wrong, please don't do it," she bit down on her bottom lip. She was stuck in her home, still seeing _him_ in front of her. And she could only hear _him_ talking. _"You are a disgrace." _He saw her lips tremble.

His eyes widened. He knew he knew the voice. He knew her. He had been looking to see her again after she disappeared some years ago. He let his fingers wrap around hers, holding onto her so she couldn't leave again. He wanted to thank her so much years ago for everything she did for his family, but before he had the chance, she was gone. "Tohru," he whispered.

She started to blink rapidly. Her hand snapped back to her body; he dropped his hand in the mud. She was looking all over the place—over at the buildings, down at the ground, at her body, then back to him. He stared back into her eyes. "You're not him," she fought against the pain she felt and suddenly rose to her feet. Her back scratched against the bark of the tree, ruining her sundress even more. He rose with her.

"Tohru, what happened to you?" As he reached out to her, she flinched.

"He never calls me by my name. How do you know me?" Had she repressed all memories of her past? Or had she forgotten about them? Or was he that unfamiliar to her? He wanted to answer, but before he could, she started to move away from him. He only stood there and watched her move. She sidestepped away from him and rested her hand against the tree. "Please, don't follow me. Don't find me," she was seeing _him _again. So the man in the umbrella saw her break out into a full sprint.

But he couldn't let her go again.

She didn't get very far; he had very good reflexes. Before he knew it, they were only maybe twenty feet from the tree, and he had a hold of her arm. But she was struggling to get away. "No! Please!" He dropped the umbrella and pulled her into his chest. He didn't care if he was going to get wet from the rain anymore. This was more important.

"Tohru, I won't hurt you!" He could feel her trying to get away, trying to squirm out of his grasp. He wrapped his arms around her and tightly held onto her. "It's just me, just Hatori!" She succumbed to his hold and started to fall from the immense pain she was in. He followed her, and both hit the ground with their knees. She gripped his white overcoat, and he released most of his grip, ensuring that he was not hurting her.

She was crying. He could hear her screaming and trembling in fear. She was crying out this whole time, not screaming. She needed someone to help her. Tohru buried her face into his chest and let herself cry in front of someone not _him_ in years. "Hatori, help me. Please, Hatori…" He closed his eyes as he continued to listen to her repeat her words over and over again. He didn't want to meet her like this again—he wanted to see her smile again.

"_Ah! Hatori! Are you joining us for dinner? Did Shigure invite you over again?" "Hatori, you don't have to help with the dishes! I can manage!" "Hatori! Thank you for coming over! It seems like Kyo hurt himself while fighting Yuki. I'm sorry to have disturbed you!" _He frowned. He wanted the old Tohru back, not this one. Not the one that was broken. Not the one that was suffering from someone's doing.

He heard her crying again; he let his phone go to voicemail.

**TLS**


	2. A Visitor in the Night II

**A/N: Quick one: this chapter's a little flashback. It just sets up the night scene for next chapter, dang. ALSO, you'll get the whole story about her eventually. Eventually. ALSOOOO, next chapter, yes. It'll be a quick night one, then every other chapter after that will either be chapters revolving around a day, or future ones, like a week later or something. YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN?  
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**Plus, I hope I'm not making her too damaged. Good lord, when I get to happy scenes, I'm afraid I won't be able to write her at all LOL**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Fruits Basket.  
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He stood in the hallway. He could hear the water going and saw steam spewing out from under the door from time to time. She insisted that she didn't need a shower (_"I should go home"_) and he refused to take her back to wherever she lived, just to get beaten. He stared at the floorboards and listened to the water, nothing else. He was afraid she had slipped out the bathroom window (with her now frail body, it wouldn't surprise him) but every once in a while, she would cough, or sneeze, or do something to make noise.

He closed his eyes; he was _just_ on his way home from work. But he was alone. And when he met her again, he had a companion.

She in the shower closed her eyes, too, for the umpteenth time as she felt the droplets hit her back. She could feel the hot water splash against her opened wounds (and those healing) and could feel both blood and dirt slide down her legs. She felt disgusting. So she didn't want to look at them. She just closed her eyes and went away.

_She leaned away from him and sat in the rain with him. Hatori looked down at her, then at his lab coat; there was blood everywhere. If someone were to walk into the park, they would've suspected a murder. He saw her hands grab the end of her dress and hold onto the fabric for dear life. Who would've done such a thing to her?_

_Thunder erupted. She let out a small cry. So she was afraid of large noises; he'd have to remember that. Was she afraid of sudden movements, too? He wasn't sure whether to grab his umbrella, but he did. Slowly, though, because he didn't want to chase her again. When he grabbed it, he put it over her body. Hatori thought she didn't notice. "You shouldn't be out in this weather, Tohru," he whispered._

_Oh, smooth. She didn't look at him. "I know," she whispered back. Her hands were shaking, her legs felt numb—she just stared at the wounds on her legs, wondering when she would ever find the time to wear a dress again. Another clap of thunder went across the sky, and she flashed back to the first thunderstorm, when the first beating occurred. _

_"Don't ever show your ugly face to the world again!" She felt someone grab her hand; she wasn't there. It already happened, there was nothing to be afraid of, right? She saw Hatori grab her hand and slowly rise to his feet, wanting to go. But she had nowhere to go, and she wasn't going to go with him. He did not deserve the burden on her shoulders. He did not deserve to see her pitiful state of being. _

_"Come on," Hatori said to her, still holding the umbrella above her while he helped her to her feet. She wobbled a bit, but became steady. "I'll take you home with me." With him. She knew it was a terrible idea. She knew that once she went with him, he would not care for it. But it was all she had, and all she had was someone that happened to come across her and wanted to help. She needed help long ago; where was he then? Out with her old family? Out with a woman? Perhaps he was in the process of moving—she heard that he moved somewhere and had a place there. Maybe that was it. While she was hurt and crushed, he was okay._

_Was she okay? She didn't know. She was walking—that was a plus. Usually she would be crawling. Each step she took, she felt a few leaves crunch. The forest around her seemed to close in on her petite body, reaching out with the sharp branches. She would see the rain fall around her, not on her for once. She would see the lightning in the distance shed some light while the thunder yelled for it to go away. She could feel her wounds closing up, pulsating to the beat of the thunder, hurting more and more as the cold air entered her body. But she felt nothing inside._

_She should've been angry. She should've wanted revenge on his poor soul because she had to run, because she had to go out in broad daylight always crushed. But maybe she couldn't blame him. Maybe he was right. And if he was, why was Hatori treating her differently? Wasn't she pathetic? Wasn't she useless? Wasn't she pitiful? Why was it different?_

_"You can stay at my place for as long as you like," Hatori said to her. She nodded. She wouldn't stay long; she would stay a night, then be gone. She couldn't bear thinking she was a burden. What if Hatori thought that then? "Don't worry about the living arrangements; you owe nothing," he added. Sure she did. She owed him her life now. She was being saved by someone from her past, and what did she have to repay him? She didn't have money—she gave it all to him. _

_"You'll get what you deserve," he would say. "Or you'll get nothing at all." She looked over at Hatori; he was drenched. The blood on his lab coat was smeared, either from the water pouring down on him or from the incident at the park. Her voice was lost—otherwise, she'd worry. "Hatori, you should be under the umbrella!" She wanted to say that. She wanted to go back to the past; she wanted to be alive._

_Instead, she was there. She was inside the forest, listening to the trees whisper as the wind picked up and would cast a long shadow when the lightning struck nearby. Then a new noise came into her ears. It was a ringtone. She could hear Hatori shuffling for his phone. "I wish she would stop calling me," he whispered to himself. But she heard. She heard everything. _

_"I wish she was gone!" He clicked a button and it silenced his phone. He looked down at her. He obviously was getting no kind of conversation with her, but he couldn't bear the silence. She was not like this before. She was always so talkative, so worried, so embarrassed, so full of love and life—what had happened? He knew, he saw the extent of her damage. But he wanted to know why. Why, out of everyone in the world, why was she attacked?_

_"I apologize for that," he said to her. She could see little lights ahead; she assumed it was his house. "We're almost there, just a bit more, Tohru. I'm sorry if your feet hurt," she continued to walk at his pace._

_"It's okay," she whispered. _

_"No, it's not," he replied. She stopped walking. He reminded her of him so much, but they were so different at the same time. "No, it's not okay! Nothing is ever okay with you!" Hatori turned and looked at her. She just stared at him, wide-eyed. "Tohru?" But she said nothing._

_She would stay silent the rest of the way there. He could see how void of color her eyes were, how damaged she was. Her brown eyes were gone, beaten by some monster out there. Who was she with? Her black eye broke his heart, too. He remembered the first time he had to help her, because she hurt herself from some stupid incident. "Oh, it's okay Hatori! I'll be okay! Don't worry about me, it's just a little scratch!" _

_She started to walk again, and he walked with her. "What happened to you?" She bent her head down and stared at the ground. She was used to this treatment; she didn't want to see what was coming. She wanted to look at the ground and let life pass her by whenever it had the chance. She didn't want to experience life anymore. She wanted it to go away._

_Hatori looked out at the distance. He saw the woman at his house, standing outside. He hoped she would understand. It was Tohru, for goodness sakes. It wasn't someone that he randomly saw and helped. No, it was her, of all people. She, the one that helped those in need for the sake of being nice. There was no one else like her; she was the one person in the world that understood everyone and that no one understood._

_He could see the woman pop an umbrella open and he stopped; Tohru stopped with him. He was a little surprised at her action. "Tohru, do you have enough strength to hold the umbrella for a moment?" He held out the handle to the umbrella and she brought her hand up. She weakly wrapped her fingers around the metal and shivered at the touch. She knew the feeling of metal far too well. Tohru looked at him. "It'll only be a minute. Please wait here," he whispered._

_He didn't want to leave her side. He wanted to stay by it, to make sure she would be okay. But he didn't want to be screamed at by the woman in the house. No, he wanted to make sure they would get along, at least. So in the downpour, he walked away. He could feel his feet squish against the mud collecting near his house; he could hear cracks of thunder pound against the forest walls; every time he turned his head, he still saw her standing there._

_Part of her wanted to run. Part of her just wanted to sprint in one direction and go somewhere else. The other part of her wanted to stay put. The other part just wanted him to come back and say, "It's okay, you can come along now." It would suit his personality, not the others. The other one would make her go. "You either can go with your legs, or I'll make you crawl on all fours and wish you chose the easy way." So she stayed put._

_Hatori thought for the moment he had alone. What was he going to do if this new woman wouldn't accept her? What if Tohru would feel obligated to leave again because of her? Sure, she was a little intimidating, what with her vulgarities and style, but she was nice. Sometimes. He suddenly didn't feel the rain anymore; he was underneath a new umbrella._

_"Hatori!" She shrieked. Maybe it was a terrible idea to have hung up on her. Maybe he should've answered at least one of her calls. Maybe. But he didn't have time to think about that now. "Where have you been? And why are you so…" she scanned him. Her eyes only got wider as she trailed down. "dirty?" He put his hands on her shoulders and looked into her eyes._

_"I need you to trust me," he whispered. She could only nod. When he turned in the direction where he came, she followed his eyes. And her eyes turned angry, somewhat spiteful, and also mysterious. He knew it was a terrible idea to bring another woman into his house, after just getting into the relationship. But it had to be done. He couldn't have just left her there._

_"Who is she?" the woman asked. Hatori didn't look at the woman next to him, but at the girl in the distance, just standing there. He couldn't take his eyes off of her. Something about her being fragile and mistaken for a weakling made him sympathetic for the poor girl. She was so young and vibrant before leaving; why did someone make her disappear?_

_"She's an old friend," he replied. He let his hands slide away from the woman and she looked up at him, then back to Tohru. She closed her eyes._

_"Romantic?" He refused to answer that question. He never once thought of her friendship as something that could blossom into romance. But when she left that day, it dawned on him that it didn't matter—they were the same. _

_"She needs a place to stay," then he felt the rain fall again. He turned around and saw the woman standing a little farther away from him. "Is something the matter?" She gripped the black umbrella tightly before opening her mouth. Her voice boomed; it was almost like the thunder._

_"You're damn right! You can't just waltz here with another woman, thinking I'll be okay with this!" She turned around and he stared at her back. If only he could sigh, but he knew it would offend her more. "I refuse to have her in the house," she whispered. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. He couldn't believe that she would be that cruel and heartless to someone that was so innocent and cheerful—well, used to be. _

_But she understood. She was a monster, a pitiful, horrible monster. She had made her way closer to the two standing in the rain, with Hatori in the middle of the two women. She was interested in what they were saying. Of course she assumed the woman was his lover—or maybe just a friend, she didn't know. All she knew was the woman was frustrated with him. She understood; all men were. "You're damn lucky my friends are not here. They'd rip you apart one, by, one." She stopped walking and stared at Hatori's back._

_Something about it made her be reminded of a wall. It was like a protection against all the evil around her. She knew everyone was out to get her. She knew they stared at her with pity in their eyes and knew she was worthless. "I don't know why I let you out in public sometimes." Tohru saw Hatori step toward the woman more, but the woman stood her ground._

_"But you don't understand, she-" the woman quickly turned her head and faced Hatori. The woman was lovely. She had stunning black hair that reached near the top of her back toward her shoulders, gorgeous green eyes, and a petite body like her own. No wonder Hatori was attracted to her; she was the ideal woman. _

_"I don't care!" She screamed. Tohru knew that statement like the back of her hand. "I don't care" would be her mutter, every day, every waking moment. If she said "yes" or "no", she would be scolded. When Tohru looked at the two again, she saw the woman entering their house and shutting the door behind her. Hatori was just left there, standing there. _

_He eventually turned around. She watched as his clothes stuck to his body and his hair covered most of his face. She took a step forward to offer the umbrella, but he shook his head. "I'd rather see you use it," he replied. Tohru frowned. Hatori just sighed and looked up at the stormy sky. Tohru closed her eyes and wanted to use her voice. But would he hit her? Would he scold her because she spoke just one line? "Shut up! No one cares what you think!"_

_She opened her eyes and almost felt angry. "You don't understand, either." Hatori looked down at her; she was holding the umbrella with white knuckles. He just watched her, as she closed her eyes and furrowed her eyebrows, and watched her turn from someone with a void of emotions burst with life again. "You wouldn't understand!" She screamed; lightning illuminated their dark shadows. _

_How she wished to yell again, to scream at the top of her lungs and let the whole world know what had been done to her for almost two years. For two years, she had to bottle it up. She couldn't tell a soul, afraid of what he'd do. "If you say one word to one person, you'll regret that decision." But she was interested at what he'd actually do if she told the entire story, if someone actually listened to her and wanted to know what happened. But she stopped and opened her eyes._

_Hatori was a little closer to her. She felt like sleeping; she was tired of it all. She didn't want to feel it anymore, the worthlessness that spiraled into her soul. She looked off to the side. "I should just go home," she whispered. She felt the umbrella move in her hand and she let go; it was held up by another hand. He knew the voice; it was her voice of defeat. She was ready to give up, to give it all up just to be beaten again._

_He shook his head. "That is not an option," he whispered. He didn't care if he was going to lose the woman because of Tohru. He didn't care that he was going to refuse her answer and defy her rules. Tohru came first; he was obligated to help her. "I suggest taking a shower," he added. She bowed her head and felt fear again._

_She didn't want to be betrayed. She couldn't stand being betrayed by someone that she cared for, that she knew from her past and lost connection with once she disappeared. But she also didn't want to feel like an obligation. Hatori shouldn't save her because he had to; she wanted it to be because he wanted to save her. But wishes were for those that still had hope, and she had none. He brought his arm around her shoulders and started to walk; she walked with him._

_"Come on, let's go inside," he whispered._

He heard the water turn off. There was no noise in the house at all. It had been so quiet—quiet, since his new lover moved in. But she was in the room across from the bathroom. He most likely believed she was packing to move out, and get out of his life. If it were any other time, he'd be hurt that yet another relationship failed. But he was okay. He figured this because the woman started to yell when he brought Tohru in the house, when she told him not to.

_"Hatori, what is wrong with you! Do you not care for me?" _He didn't think Tohru should've bowed, either. He did see his lover sigh and feel guilty, especially how Tohru looked from the abuse. But it didn't steer her opinion. _"I'm sorry it happened to you, but you should understand that he's my partner, and you're invading our privacy. Hatori, you can't be serious about this." _He just took her upstairs to their bathroom and let her use the shower. She walked in and had yet to be seen since; it had been a half hour.

When she came up the stairs, she didn't say a word to him; she just looked at him with disgust in her eyes and slammed the door behind her into their bedroom. She didn't scream or whisper anything. She hardly made a noise. She just went inside and had yet to come out.

Tohru grabbed the towel on the sink and found a dilemma—how was she going to dry herself when her wounds were bleeding and hurt? She took the almost white towel and swiped it against her arm. She winced every time it went over a cut or scratch, and she looked at the towel. She frowned; there was blood left on the towel. When she did that for the rest of her body, she was shocked at the sight of all the blood still either left on her body or still coming from her wounds.

She wrapped her body in the towel; it reached just at the middle of her thighs. It was her first shower in a long time. _He _would always keep her away from showers, in case she somehow thought she would look better when it washed away. _"You should carry your scum around for the world to see." _She stepped in front of the small mirror on the wall and looked inside. The steam made her image cloudy, so she swiped her free hand against the glass and stared. She didn't think it was _that bad. _

Her black eye was almost swollen shut; there was a small cut below her eye that looked infected; her lips were swollen and cut up from her biting down on them. Her hair, though, looked okay. The blood was finally gone; she could appreciate her caramel colored hair again. While she knew she had to feel terrible for herself because of how she looked (and she did), she let the tiniest smile grace her face and she brought her hand up to her hair. How she was so thankful that it was the one thing she could appreciate about her whole body.

But reality hit her and the smile faded as she focused more on the eye and the small cut. How she looked hideous and grotesque; she bent over the sink and let it all go. She felt everything in her stomach (which wasn't much) splash against the white canvas waiting for her to paint. She brought her hand up to her mouth and she looked back into the mirror. She could only stare at the image _he_ created, the one that was the monster. But on the other side of the mirror, she saw her old self, the one that was still her. The one that was from the past, not the one stuck in the present. _"Quit smiling; it's ugly on you." _She saw herself in the mirror again, black eye and all. She could only stare.

A small knock was at the door. She knew who it was, but refused to believe she was safe. Was she trapped again? "Tohru?" She had to oblige.

"Coming."

**TLS**


	3. A Visitor in the Night III

**A/N: Oh look, I'm updating again. Shocker! Um, about this chapter, we're starting to delve into Tohru's past. Next chapter will, too, then the next one after that SHOULD be the last one. Then you'll just get random flashbacks.**

**But things sometimes don't go as planned LOL Also, we won't see the random woman Hatori was dating again. I didn't even think of a name for her. I'm terrible. Anyway, yeah. This might be a little depressing. You won't cry, but, man. I originally had it where she was raped, but I couldn't write something like that. That's even crossing the lines for me, and I write horror stuff every day.**

**WELL ANYWAY. Enjoy! (I think)**

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Fruits Basket.**_

She stood next to the bed, staring down at the mattress. He stood behind her, back turned to her as he closed his dresser drawer. "Sleep on my bed," Hatori offered, "I do not have the guest bedroom appropriately set up, I insist." Tohru just stood there, staring at the rustled sheets that were obviously just made. She felt like fixing the mistake. It was just a little ruffle, nothing spectacular. But, it was a _mistake. _

"_You better fix it, stupid woman." _She heard the drawer close and she turned to the noise. Hatori looked at her; she looked awkward in his clothes, but it was all he had. He didn't have any women clothing—well, not anymore. He was sure the woman _just_ ended the relationship because of what had happened. _"Do you want me to call you in the morning?" _He watched her open the door, a few suitcases in her arms. She didn't turn back; she didn't say a word. Just opened the door and shut it, too; he didn't know what to do.

"I'll sleep on the couch, so if you need anything, I'm just downstairs," he said. He wanted to break the tense silence that longed to be ignored—by her, anyway. She didn't mind the silence. It meant she was at peace, that nothing could hurt her, that nothing could stop her. When that little silence came that day, she took the opportunity, despite what he threatened. _"If you ever try to leave, God only knows what will happen." _But she wanted to see light again, after being trapped in the dark. She wanted nothing more but the sweet solitude of silence. She looked around.

She took in her surroundings. The walls were a dark red; a small window was above the mattress, and she could probably see the moon if a storm weren't going; a few dressers were dispensed in different corners of the room; a small desk was at the foot of the bed, with scattered files either surrounding the desk or lying on top. Everything had a cherry finish. The sheets were a burgundy color, with deep red pillowcases to accent them. The walls were bare. There were no paintings hanging, but there were a few picture frames around the room. One was next to the bed on a night stand; she picked it up.

Hatori saw, but let her look at it. She saw it was from years ago, when she was still with the Sohmas. She was in the middle, and the entire group (minus Akito and Kureno) was behind her. They were all smiling, laughing, carrying on—when life was simple. It was when Kyo, Yuki, and she graduated. Tohru remembered her teacher asking them to gather around, so she could take a picture. And when the camera flashed, that was it. She quickly set it down. She felt like crying. How she wished everything was okay again.

She looked back at him. "Did she leave?" Her voice was wavering. He figured she was talking about the woman that used to live here. Hatori sighed.

"Seems like it," he leaned against the nearest dresser and frowned. He would have to call her in the morning, see what was going on. He just stared at the floorboards and wondered what to say to her. But he didn't have to think long; she already had a conversation starter.

"It's my fault," she whispered. Hatori looked back at her.

"Don't say that, it's-"

"It's okay. I understand," she whispered. He pushed against the wood of the dresser and stood there, staring at her. Normally, she would put the blame on herself, even though it wasn't her fault. She would have a worried look on her face and you'd be stupid not to reassure her in every possible way. But there she was, standing there, looking at him because she _knew_ it was her fault. Everything that went wrong was her fault.

Hatori wanted to curse the man that laid his hands on her and strangle him. He wanted to see her like the girl that disappeared so long ago. He wanted to hear her cheery voice again, telling him it was okay to eat dinner with the rest of them at the house because she overcooked. But he wasn't getting that. He was getting a complete stranger bunking with him, sleeping in his bed because she deserved the best.

"Tohru," the silence was broken. She composed herself and looked over at Hatori. "Don't worry about a thing. Just get some sleep, okay?" He reached out to her; she didn't move. Tohru felt his hand rest on her shoulder, sitting on one of her large bruises, and felt the warmth emit from his palm. "Everything's going to be okay," he whispered.

"_Nothing okay when you're around." _She felt Hatori push her down to the bed—gently, he would not actually push her. Then again, all men were the same now. They all had the same tendencies, the same motive. It was nothing different. She rested her hands on her lap and sat there, as Hatori looked down at her. She had been in that position before, on a bed, sitting on the edge, while someone stood over her. _He_ stood over her, though. _He_ wanted something different than the man standing there. _He_ wanted her. _"Don't scream."_

Hatori walked away, but returned quickly with a chair. "If it'll make you feel any more comfortable," he rested the chair next to the bed. "I'll sit here and wait for you to fall asleep, so nothing happens to you." Her eyelids felt so heavy; she wanted to sleep. She hadn't normally slept in ages, and now she was finally given the opportunity, but she wanted to stay awake. She wanted to believe that none of it was a dream, that she was actually somewhere else besides Hell.

She nodded; at least she was listening—he thought it was just a one-sided conversation. "Thank you, Hatori," she mumbled. He just leaned back in the chair and watched her fall to his pillows, closing her eyes _finally_. Tohru found no comfortable position to sleep, except burying her knees into her chest and slightly bending her head to touch her knees. It was the _only_ way to sleep. She didn't want blankets—she never used them. Plus she didn't want to ruin his sheets that were probably expensive.

The rain outside hit against the window above her head, and she wanted to dream. The silence was a blessing in disguise, a quiet present she had always wanted, for two years now. A small, insignificant smile tugged at her lips, and she felt herself slipping away. Perhaps knowing someone was protecting her helped, she didn't know. But she fell fast asleep. _"Sweet dreams."_

0o0

Hatori held out his phone, the light illuminating his surroundings in the dark. Before dialing the number, he bent over her body and examined every part of her. He'd have to bandage her wounds tomorrow, God forbid. He didn't want to see her damage. She was doing her best to hide it all from the world—but why when she was inside a house? He pulled away; he'd look tomorrow.

He dialed a familiar number, one that hadn't changed since leaving high school. He heard the dial tone, breaking the silence that he succumbed to since Tohru fell asleep. _"Thank you, Hatori" _repeated in his head. Was he the only person she had? Did others know about this? He heard a click on the other end.

"Ha'ri! Oh, you scoundrel, a little late for you, isn't it? Tell me all the dirty details, you old man," he glanced over at the small clock on the nightstand. He didn't realize it was almost 1 in the morning. The man on the other end went on. "Was it that great? Did she finally let you explore all those naughty places? Oh, did you dress up! Please tell me!"

"Shigure," his voice was serious. The tone dramatically shifted with Shigure as he continued to talk. "You need to come over right now." Shigure, however, could not help but joke about the situation again. Hatori wished Shigure understood his dilemma without actually talking about it.

"This late, Ha'ri? Is she willing to-" Hatori did not want to jolt her awake by yelling at Shigure, but he instead harshly whispered. He did not want to hear Shigure's stupidity.

"Would you just shut up and come over?" There was a long pause on each side. Hatori looked out the small window and saw little flashes of lightning creep along the night sky. When he looked down at Tohru, she looked okay, for how terrible she looked. Suddenly he heard Shigure's voice on the other line.

"I'll be right over." Soon after, a small click was heard, and the long dial tone seeped into his ears.

0o0

_She was at a small grocery store, a few blocks away from her home. Looking over small oranges, Tohru felt someone from behind bump into her. She paid no attention, but heard someone sincerely apologize for their actions._

"_Oh! Miss, I'm terribly sorry," he whispered to her. She turned to the man. Something about him was familiar, but she couldn't place it. She just shook her head and smiled._

"_N-No, it's okay, it didn't bother me one bit!" The man across from her leaned against the fruit stand and smiled. She blushed—her heart was racing while staring into his eyes. He was quite handsome, especially with the black hair and sharp look. He was in normal clothes, nothing fancy, but he could pull off the look. The man just let out a small laugh._

"_I didn't expect this today, to run into someone as stunning as yourself," he said. She felt her face heat up and turned back to the oranges._

"_U-U-Um, I think you have the wrong girl then," she softly smiled. He laughed._

"_Modest, too, I see. Listen," he leaned toward the fruits to look at her face; she stared into his eyes. She could stare into them all the time, if she had the chance. He looked down at her blouse. "Miss Tohru Honda," she forgot her nametag was stuck on her shirt. She was due to work in an hour, but stopped to get some fresh fruits for the rest at home. "Normally, I don't stop for women, or they don't seem interesting enough. But you've sparked my interest. Are you busy later tonight?" She was finding it hard to breathe._

"_O-O-Oh, I work," she whispered. He just nodded._

"_And when are you off?" She told him the time. It was always late, and few things were open at that time. But the man didn't mind. "I'm assuming you clean the office building down the street, if those are your hours," she shrugged._

"_B-But how did you know?" He smirked._

"_I've lived in the town all my life! The city life is perfect for me," she nodded. She lived in the city, too, but he was more of the city person than her—she was more rural. "So, do you mind if I join your company later tonight?"_

_She smiled. "S-Sure!"_

0o0

"Where did you find her?" Shigure whispered. Hatori lit a cigarette and leaned against the wall. Shigure stood in the doorway, just staring at the woman in the bed. She had flipped, so her back was to them. Hatori inhaled and sharply exhaled.

"In the park," he whispered. Shigure leaned against the doorframe and crossed his arms. He still couldn't believe what he was seeing.

"So, she's back in our lives," Hatori held the cigarette in between two fingers.

"Yes, but she's not the same," Shigure turned his head to look at his friend. Something was troubling, he could tell.

"How so?" Hatori bowed his head and looked at the floorboards. He pinched the bridge of his nose and went outward, rubbing his eyes. He wished it wasn't true. He wished that he could tell Shigure she was okay, that she happened to cross paths with him because she was going to the store. And because she was worried about not making it home in the storm, he offered to keep her for the night. But he couldn't. He couldn't do anything.

Hatori just sighed. "Someone's been abusing her," Shigure straightened his body and fully turned to his friend. "Or, at least, someone attacked her. But from the extent of some of her wounds, it's probably abuse. There's old wounds, healed wounds, all sorts of them. When I found her, she was incoherent and unresponsive half the time," Shigure turned to look in the room.

How was it that she was not the same? He imagined her to always be cheerful and delighted to see him. He always thought she would stay her friendly self and be so loving to everyone. _"Shigure! Dinner's ready!" _Shigure just looked at the petite body from the little light in the room and frowned.

"Do you know who did it to her?" Hatori put the cigarette back in his mouth.

"She's hardly said a word since I found her," Shigure leaned against the doorframe and sighed.

"What are you going to do? I mean, the others should know that she's here," Hatori closed his eyes. He didn't know what to do. What was he supposed to do? Was he supposed to protect her against any strangers that came near the house? All he knew was he was going to bandage her wounds tomorrow; it was necessary for her to get her rest first. If he kept her awake any more, he probably would've guessed that she would have insomnia. Or perhaps become more incoherent than before. Shigure turned his head to look at Hatori.

"I don't know."

0o0

_She glanced down at her phone. It read 11:24 PM. She got off at 11; she frowned. If she stayed out there any longer, the others at home would get worried—not like they weren't worried anyway. She took one more look around, perhaps spotting him in the crowd. But Tohru found an almost empty street—just a couple stragglers here and there. She sighed and walked away from her building. She pocketed her cell phone and held the little fruits in her hand, wrapped nicely in the plastic bag._

"_I should make some late night snack for Shigure. He has another deadline near," she whispered to herself. While going through some simple recipes, she felt someone grab her left arm. Tohru thought it was the man; maybe she was in the wrong spot? When she looked up, she saw that it was indeed a man, but it wasn't the guy she met. Instead, she was dragged into the alleyway and thrown into the darkness. She gripped her bag of fruits and quickly spun around, facing the man._

"_D-D-Don't come any closer," she whispered, holding the bag near her chest. She never had any fighting lessons, except those from Kyo, but it was only a few times. She knew how to make a fist, though. She heard him laugh a little bit, still walking toward her._

"_You're too cute," he whispered. She started to back away, but he was too fast. When he started to dash toward her, she couldn't run. She couldn't do anything. She was frozen, stuck in one place. He grabbed her arms again and just smiled. Tohru closed her eyes. "You couldn't hurt a fly," and it was true. She was never able to kill anything, not even a small creature. When she wanted to open her eyes, she felt her arm thrown in one direction; her body followed. She crashed into the trash cans and they echoed against the brick walls surrounding her._

Thunder roared. She jumped out of her sleep. She was panting, sobbing, everything. She was having another panic attack; her chest tightened as she sat up in the bed and brought her knees to her chest. She couldn't rock herself back to sleep; she was frozen in place.

Shigure turned his head back to the woman in the bed and saw her sitting up now, looking down at the sheets. "Ha'ri," he whispered. Hatori looked up at his old friend and saw him pointing in Tohru's direction. He peeked around the corner and saw her just sitting there. He couldn't tell if she was shaking, but she was definitely awake.

"Tohru?" He whispered. She didn't move. Hatori pushed Shigure out of the way and walked into his room. Shigure followed, not far behind. Hatori sat down in the chair and turned on the small lamp next to her. She didn't move; she just stared. But she wasn't there; she was _there, _away from both of them. So she only stared. So did Shigure.

_She felt immense pain shoot up her back and head. When she felt the back of her head, there was no blood. She'd probably get a bump, that was it. But she heard him fall to the ground in front of her, and her eyes shot open. All she could see was the familiar eyes she saw at the store, the ones she could get lost in. The other guy was lying on the ground, far away from her. Did…did he just save her? Her heart was racing a mile a minute. Did she like the guy? She didn't know. Was she that gullible? She didn't know._

_Her mind was blank. "I'm sorry, Tohru," he whispered. He looked sympathetic. He was worried about her. "I-I didn't mean to be late. Please forgive me. I saw you from across the street, get pulled in here. I came as soon as I could," he cupped her face with his hand and rubbed his thumb against her cheek. She closed her eyes and welcomed his hand. She would've welcomed anything. _

Shigure couldn't believe what he was seeing. It was Tohru, but it wasn't. He couldn't describe it. He just stared at her visible wounds, just stared at the scars that wrapped around her neck. Why hadn't he seen them before? "Tohru," Hatori whispered. Shigure was still wrapped in the previous silence that shook the room. "Tohru, are you okay?" Hatori rested his hand on her back and felt her breathing get quicker and quicker as the seconds ticked on. "It's okay, it was just a nightmare."

No, he was wrong, she thought. He was wrong, every one of them. It had been reality.

_He helped her on her feet and smiled. "I must seem like the worst person in the world," he whispered. She felt her back crack, and her legs hurt. He seemed to be really sorry. And it wasn't his fault, so why was she a little angry at him? She couldn't stay mad at him, especially when he stared with those eyes. What were so great about them? She didn't know._

"_I-I-It's okay," she mumbled. She brushed off the dirt and looked around; her fruit was scattered on the ground. There went her late-night snack. She sighed and looked up at the man. "I'm sorry, but I must be going," she whispered._

Then, as Hatori was about to look up at Shigure, she turned her head to the door. She wanted to make a mad dash for the exit and never look back. She swung her legs around and hung them over the side of the bed. Hatori held her back. "Where do you think you're going, Tohru? You need to rest," he whispered. Shigure just stood there, watching her.

"_Where do you think you're going?" She turned her head and faced the man again. She couldn't see his face, but something made her uneasy._

"_I-I have to get home," he walked up to her and grabbed her arm again. She was nervous, but he smiled. _

"_Well, I suppose you do have to get home. I suppose there's others out there worried about you," he said to her. He rubbed her arm with his thumb and she relaxed. She only thought he was trying to help._

_But his words dawned on her and she was surprised. "Yes, they probably are!" He just looked at her with a stunned look as she started talking to herself—something about a man named Shigure and him staying up late just to make sure she made it home safe. But he just stared._

"Tohru," it was a new voice. It was a voice she hadn't heard in a long time. She looked up and looked right at Shigure. She didn't recognize him, though. She looked up and saw _him_, the different man.

"_Shigure must be very tired and probably exhausted! I'll have to make it home before he-"_

"_Before he what?" She stopped and looked up at him. Was…he jealous? "Do you live with other men?" She scaled her excitement back and cautiously nodded. "This Shigure guy…is he your boyfriend?" She just stared before laughing._

"_O-O-Oh! No," she blushed, "we're just really good friends! His cousins live in the house, too," the man frowned. _

"_Are you…?" She shook her head._

"_No!"_

"What happened to you?" She bit down on her lip and felt the tears fall from her eyes. She was reliving whatever moment was hurting her, and only Hatori and Shigure were there to watch her suffer. Hatori let go of her and she bowed her head. She couldn't bear to look at either one of them. She had suffered enough from _his _eyes.

_He stared at her for a moment, as she smiled, and then his mouth broke into a smile as well. "Oh, well, what a relief!" He quickly said. She nodded. "I hope you don't mind if I want to see you again, on better terms I hope. How about a dinner date, say—Friday evening?" She tilted her head and thought for a moment. She thought about it, and realized her day was free. So she nodded. _

_He just smiled. "Great."_

She lifted her head and started blinking; she was sobbing. Her breathing was getting a little faster from the memory, but she knew she was in the room. She looked over at Hatori and he felt her lean against him. He closed his eyes; it was terrible to see her like that. Shigure just stood there, hearing her sobs. He had never seen her cry, not like that. Never in his life did he want to see her cry. Or hear it, for that matter.

"_I'll see you then…um…" he shook his head._

"_No, no, I want you to learn my name properly, Tohru," he whispered. "That way, it leaves a lasting impression. For the time being, just remember my face," she found it odd that he didn't want to leave a name with her, but she smiled and nodded anyway._

"_O-Oh, okay! Well, until Friday!" She turned away from him; his smile disappeared in a flash. As she walked away, she had the biggest smile on her face, her heart was racing a mile a minute, and her thoughts couldn't seem to drift away from the man._

_She never thought to see the man checking her phone, deleting everyone inside._

"He did it," she whispered. Hatori wrapped his arms around her and held her closer. Something about her voice made him angry. "He did it," she repeated. "it was all him," she broke down. Shigure looked up at the ceiling and blinked; he could never let Hatori see him cry. Hatori just sat there with Tohru in his arms, wondering what she meant—and how to make her stop crying.

_When she arrived home, everything was back to normal._

**TLS**


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